Printing plate whirler



Dec. 7, 1948. F. A. HACKER PRINTING PLATE WHIRLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 1944 P u l-Illlilp Dec. 7, 1948. F. A. HACKER I 2,455,761

PRINTING PLATE WHIRLER Filed Aug. 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 7, 1948 m'esne assignments; to Ame evs Incorporated; Elizabeth ipplicati on A'ug list 2 1944,,Serlal No, 547,851

of the class described which is of compact pol te bleconstruction and whichembodies various units of equipment neededFto rlav outjprint'; develop,

tahle; andbther accessoriesibeingin open" or ope-r;

graphic platesforprintlhg.

In its preferred embodiment, the inventlorrcom templates the provision of a cabinet; preferably made of enameled sheet metal and having recesses or pans in itstop, front andsides for the accommodation of the several adjustable" and re movabl'e elements by which the various functions of thedeviceare performed. When opened tolt's full dimensions for use, the machine occupies only about one-fourth of the floor spece which"; would have been: occupied by'all of the se arate units commonly employed in making ofl'setplates; and when the cabinet is closed and thehperative parts retracted or stowed' within the cabinet, 1 the v device occupies no more space than a singrepieee of plate making equipment ofaveragesize; The novel ofiset late mahlngmachine is consequent ly eminently suited for use in"the' fieldfiindupli eating plants, in a. truck, a trailer, or aiplane, or

on board shipi t v The equipment 'lncluiiedun the apparatus 1 com-- prises-a plate whirler; a light=top layoutltable;"a

vacuum printing frame; a; printing lampa plate 9 developing trough; a plate" rubbing up table" and; all of the necessary electricalconnectionsfand controls: 5

More specific objects of the inventinn include thesprovisi on of novel meansifor housing andi isup i porting the novelplate whirler in;cooperative'relationship with theother variouswoperetive parts,

and for enabling the whirler to perfovm.its-iunc-:

tionsandto pe used without interference with the tion of partscovered thereby atl'v e positions? and certain other portionsfofth'e' device being broken away to reveal the construc Figure 2 is a; viewih iront machine showninllgure hf d d H;

Figure 315 a vertical sectional view taken on line 3*3 of Figure? and elevation of the ne is i'urther amateur; mort fied-near sectionshowing theplate whirlingimechanism and indicating; the direction of ail-f circulation: By reference more particwarly; Figures novel plate? making: machine comprises essen- 7 tially' a cabinet Hvby'wl'iich thevarioiis operative' members-of the machinare supported andwithfin which they-maybe snugly enclosed whemtlie device" is notjinuse; and for' storage or trans'- portationi v d e Theeabinet i0 is provided with recesses or compartments at its" top and? sides for operative elements ofi "the plate making machine while the front of the cabinetmay be opento provide storage space ror various accessory supplies and? materials" 1 dd The; central front compartment I2 or the caioine't is preferably providedwithshelves' I! and is adapted to be closed by means of a: detachable paneDordoo Hi. In the embodiment illustrated, t-iiedooris provided withhingeproj'ections or lugs lfiwhich fltint'o' small liolesin the thresholdof the openinginto the"compartmentl2; Aylatch ll, operable by the finger, is prOVldd'fO retain tlie-doorbr'panel inlplace. when the plate mak. ing* machine'is in use; theidoor may be; merely i'aid aside or stacked along with the other closure memlaers against the wall Uponone'side ofthe: cabiijiet -the righthand sideas viewed in Figures 1 and 2"a recess: or

iikeme cahlnetitseltis preferablyinade of sheet metal; (I'he 19 serves to receive-the printing fi-arne" IIFWIIEII it is in stored or inoperative poim o 1 i isd sml d in a ve t a t on forihorizontalprinting; I v

liporrtlieopposite side of thfe cabinet a panel] defines; c ivity orfrecess 22 which. is adapted to reeeive'the light -top table 25] when itjisretracted. goth orjthe recesses l3. and 22; may" be coveredilliv disdoororjfpanel rnelnperjsi riiiar t'o-the frontidoor h Within the upper portion of; the cabinet there is rovide hspztce Z-If th'e bottom of whi'chi's des d hy he pawn; thesidefwalls liofftlilepan being'securew in; suitable fashion to the walls 30 vided for maintaining the lid in upright open position.

The lid or cover 32 is primarily constructed of" sheet metal but has secured to its sheetmetal body portion, preferably by meansof .-screws a sheet of wood, Masonite, or other pressed woodorgcomposition 36 which provides a rubbing-up surface for the plates.

4 ports or entirely removed from the cabinet. In order to retain the trough 65 in its tilted position to provide access to the plate whirler, pivoted bracing links or the like may be provided.

The bottom wall 80 of the trough 65 slopes rearwardly and laterally toward the right hand rear corner of the trough-where, there is provided aljdownspout '82'which in normal position registers with the elbow 83 which extends between the bottom of the pan 28 and the rear wall 30 of the cabinet, which elbow 83 also provides a drain for the whirler compartment for enabling thecompartment or enclosure to be cleaned or flushed when necessary. Any suitable flexible or The compartment or recess2l is' primarily in I tended to accommodate the plate whirler desig-J nated generally by the reference numeral 40. Thi s whirler comprises aturntable 4| preferably constructed of "afsheet metal plate secured to; a supporting base or. spider. 42 having a central opening at 43 adapted to fit upon the top of the v ertica1 shaft 45. Between the spider 42 andthe turntable 4| 'there is preferably interposed a sheet of asbestos lit. v An annularboss 41 is formed in the center ofthe spider and the walls of theboss are notched. as at 48 toreceivethe cotter pin-l49 carried thel'shaft45. The shaft is .driven by.

the motor 5Il which is suspended by means of the. pa'njo'r drum' 5|. from the central portion of the bottom wall. 28 of the whirler compartment. The vertical'shaft.v 45'may be pinned or otherwise secured to themotor shaft53as indicated at 54 in"Fig ure"6 of the drawings. Secured to the drum. ,5l as'by means. of the bolts 56, is the treason resistance heating annulus 51'. An annular series of openings 58 isfomed inthe bottom of the pan or drum 5| for the admission of air which is'heated by fthe heatingelement 51 and then passes throu'ghIthe opening fifl in the Dan 2.8; whereupon the blades or flanges 6| se-v cured to the underside of the'turntable 4| serve to circulate the air through the compartment21 and around the platecarried by'the turntable and thenceoutthrough the louvers 62in the rear wall 30of the cabinet.

sheet-of asbestos material 53 serves protect the margins'of'the openingtfl in the pan. 28

and: a: vertically disposed "'cylinder64 of asbestos coated. material protects the driving. shaft 45 from the hotair 5 f 5 Tlie means just described providejalv'ery eflicientdevice for evenly coating an'ddrying the pho'tolith'ographic plates, andv one, which. 00,-

cupies a minimum of spacewithin the cabinet, affording ample room for other elements of the combination machine; I

There may be arranged for disposal ,immedi} ately above the whirler Within the upper portion o'fitherecj'ess or compartme'nt 27, the sheet-metal developing I trough 55. The, developing ,trough cens'is'ts 'essentially offa rectangular panyllet into the top opening of thefeabinet and hingedt the upper edge of the rearw u thereof. j The hinge" arrangement consists of the horizontal rod '65 secured by means of tlie'ea'rs B1 to :the "rear margin of the trough andthisrod or bar 65 is received 'for rotation within angled notchesin thebra'ckets' 69 carried by we cabinet in the margins of the top opening therein.

The side and front marginalj.'fianges of the trough 65 are provided with handles 10 by means oi. which it maybe tilted around its hinge .sup

detachable drain connection may be applied to thedischarge end- 84 of this elbow.

, Within the developing trough 65 there may be disposed a woodenslatted drain rack 85 the rear edge of which rests upon the supporting angle piece 86 secured to the; rear wall of the trough and the forward edge ,of which is latched in its lowermost position by means ofthe spring catch at havi gthei projected biitto'nflaa thereon,

At 'tliei upper rearportion of the developing trough 65 is provided a'narrow lt'ray 89.

It will lee-understood that various changes and mo diiieations may be made in the embodiment 'ill'us'tra'te'cl and described herein without detiarting froni the scopeof the invention as dehired by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: p e i 1. Apparatus ior making H photolithographic printing plates, and, the like, which comprises a cabinet having a; compartment therein, a horiz ontal rotary plate whirler mounted on the bottom of .said compartment, a. motor for driving said whirler fan electrical heating element below'.the plane of saidwhirler and within the lateral confinesthereo'f, air inletopenings 'in the bottom ofgsaid compartment adjacent said heating element fanbla'des onthe lower surface of said whirler' or-circulating the air, and airoutle periings in said cabinet, above the plane of the- ,whirler. i

2. In .a=-plate making machine, aplate whirler compartment, an openinglin the bottom wall of saidcompartment, a pan.-like supporting bracket secured to saidbottom wall and extending below said opening, a motor carried by. said bracket and havingaqshaft extending vertically through the openin a. turntable on said shaft within said; compartment,v a heating element within said pan-shapedwbracket. below said opening, and a plurality of openings, in,v the bottom of said panshaped bracket whereby air may pass through said openings around; said {heating element, thence-through theopening in the bottom wall of'tsaid' compartment and around the turntable. V In a -plate-making machine, a plate whirler compartment, an opening in the bottom wall of said compartment, a pan-like supporting bracket siec'ured t'o said b'ottom"wall and extending below saidopening, a motor'carried by said bracket and havin afsh'a'ftf featnding vertically through "a" turntable on said shaft within compartment] {heating element within H jpan shapedfbracket below. said opening, a plu'i alityof o enings in the bottom oi said panshaped bracket whereby air may.pass through saidopenings around said heating element, thence through theopening in-the bottom wall oisaid compartment and around the turntable,

and fan blades secured to the underside of said turntable to circulate the air.

FRED A. HACKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 10 536,258 Bernstein Mar. 26, 1895 1,075,905 Drosser Oct. 14, 1913 1,232,874 Whealen July 10, 1917 1,424,873 Boxell Aug. 8, 1922 1,447,388 Kalmanovitch Mar. 6, 923 15 1,463,489 Shannon July 31, 1923 1,524,415 Uphus Jan. 27, 19 5 1,553,047 Kroschel Sept. 8, 1925 ,572,699 Wirthweln Feb. 9, 1926 1,592,608

Lorenz July 13, 1926 29 Number Number 6 Name Date Kanolt Dec. 29, 1931 Ernst May 23, 1933 Huebner Nov. 19, 1935 Fritsche Mar. 16, 1937 Rogers Nov. 30, 1937 Lynch June 14, 1938 Hjort Aug. 2, 1938 Gaebel July 11, 1939 Rinn Nov. 28, 1939 Henderson Aug. 20, 1940 Davidson Sept. 24, 1940 Hillenbrand July 4, 1944 Powers Aug. 29, 1944 Campbell Oct. 9, 1945 Campbell Dec. 11, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 16, 1935 

